Tasting Notes
Vinous 94+
(95% merlot and 5%cabernet franc; 3.55 pH; 53 IPT 53; 13.4% alcohol): Very deep ruby-red with the barest hint of amber at the rim. Rich, deep, utterly captivating aromas of black cherry, red plum and cocoa, complicated by a hint of vanilla and a lovely spicy calcaire freshness. Very dense, rich and lush on the palate, with spicy raspberry, graphite, white pepper and mineral flavors displaying palate-staining intensity and amazing precision. A huge wine for Magdelaine, with a silky mouthfeel and mineral and pepper notes lingering on the finish for minutes. One sip and you understand what a wine of remarkable breed and elegance is all about. The 1998 Magdelaine is also an archetypical example of the greatness merlot can achieve on limestone soils. Though it’s hard to resist now, this wine will continue to drink perfectly at least until 2025. The 1998 vintage was another one with a large crop. September was an unsettled month, but most estates on the Right Bank enjoyed ten key rain-free days to harvest their merlot. The rain started up again later in the month as the cabernet sauvignon harvest was beginning, and this is one of the reasons why 1998 is widely considered a Right Bank year.
Wine Advocate 90
Tasted at the Bristol Commanderie dinner. The Chateau Magdelaine ’98 displays impressive intensity on the nose with dark plum and mulberry, a touch of the old Chinese sweet ‘n sour, opulent and graceful. The palate is very smooth in texture, lively and vigorous with saturated tannins, a more modern take on the usually a oeclassica Magdelaine. But it is just marred by a burr of alcohol on the finish. Tasted November 2010.
JancisRobinson.com 16.5
Mild and well balanced even if not very dramatic or flashy. Fresh. Long, easy to overlook.
Anticipated maturity: 2007-2019
